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“THE LAWLESSNESS SOUTH OF THE BORDER CONTINUES . . . TOO DANGEROUS FOR MARINES?” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E464 on Feb. 26, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE LAWLESSNESS SOUTH OF THE BORDER CONTINUES . . . TOO DANGEROUS FOR
MARINES?
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HON. TED POE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, Americans are still under vicious attack in Mexico. How violent is it on the border? Last month, Marines at Camp Pendleton were barred from visiting Tijuana, Mexico. Lt. General Samuel Helland of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton restricted Marines from traveling to Tijuana because they are concerned for the safety of Marines. Our United States Marines, Camp Pendleton Marines, who have toured in Iraq and Afghanistan can't travel 60 miles to the Mexican border because it is too dangerous.
In 2008, over 800 people were killed in Tijuana, compared to the 2007 death toll number of 337. Organized, violent crimes continue to spread south of the border. Currently, the U.S. Department of State's travel alert still exists for Mexican border towns. The State Department reports that ``Mexican drug cartels are engaged in an increasingly violent fight for control of narcotics trafficking routes along the U.S.-Mexico border . . . recent drug cartels have taken on the characteristics of small unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and, on occasion, grenades.'' I have been down to the Texas-
Mexico border now 14 times, and I have talked to local sheriffs who testify to the wild, Wild West border style wars that take place in these towns and corroborate with the U.S. Department of State's warnings to Americans.
These are dangerous, deadly times on the U.S.-Mexico border, dangerous enough to ban United States Marines. It is time we deal with the lawlessness on the U.S.-Mexico Border.
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